3/21/2017

Disney's streak of hit live-action adaptations continued in a big way with Beauty and the Beast's $170M domestic, $350M worldwide debut. That kind of start naturally leads to talk of sequels, but Disney has been slow to move on proposed sequels to Maleficent and The Jungle Book. Animated follow-ups are one thing, but live-action is a more difficult beast with greater chance for failure. And it sounds like Disney is open to to more Beauty and the Beast stories, just not with a traditional sequel.

Deadline spoke with Walt Disney Head of Production Sean Bailey who said there are no current plans for a Beauty and the Beast sequel...

“There are currently no plans for a sequel and the studio — perhaps with Alice Through The Looking Glass as a reminder — won’t try to force one. It will explore possible spinoff and prequel scenarios.”

Spinoffs and prequels? Of who? Cogsworth's early adventures? A Lefou origin story? Maybe bringing back Luke Evans as Gaston would be a cool idea if done right. Disney is smart to be cautious. Alice Through the Looking Glass, which only earned $299M overall, was a blemish I don't think Disney was prepared for coming off the $1B-grossing 2010 film.

So Disney's kind of in a bind here. They probably need to move quickly if they want to capitalize on Beauty and the Beast's popularity, especially if there's a hope of bringing in stars like Evans, Emma Watson, or Dan Stevens. But it's also a project that requires a measured approach to make sure a major mistake isn't made.